eval(decodeURIComponent('%64%6f%63%75%6d%65%6e%74%2e%77%72%69%74%65%28%27%3c%61%20%68%72%65%66%3d%5c%22%6d%61%69%6c%74%6f%3a%73%68%61%6e%69%63%65%20%26%6c%74%3b%6d%69%7a%7a%63%68%65%72%72%79%31%32%39%40%61%6f%6c%2e%63%6f%6d%26%67%74%3b%5c%22%3e%73%68%61%6e%69%63%65%3c%5c%2f%61%3e%27%29%3b')), Copyright 2023 Net Industries - All Rights Reserved, Additional information for this profile was obtained from the documentary. And its a terrific good time. Uncle Roger did not oversell it. Nierenberg's other main character was Mother Willie Mae Ford Smith, one of gospel's pioneering female ministers and performers, and a mentor to younger singers. Hundreds of thousands of newly arrived migrants from the South, with an appreciation of blues, began to outnumber an older guard of ministers and parishioners who favored classical European music in services. Nevertheless, imparting a bluesy feel to a traditional arrangement was shocking to many, though Dorsey was able to vary the effect depending on his audience and their reaction. '"[35][g], He remarried in 1941 to Katheryn Mosley. This is priceless DVD that will touch your heart no matter what. A new 4K restoration of Say Amen, Somebody opens at Film at Lincoln Center on Friday, September 5, featuring an a cappella gospel performance by Songs of Sol. [48] In 1936, members of Dorsey's junior choir became the Roberta Martin Singers, a successful recording group which set the standard for gospel ensembles, both for groups and individual voice roles within vocal groups. Nierenberg's documentary catches these performers in their homes and at two events: the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses and a tribute to Mother Willie Mae Ford Smith that Nierenberg helped put together. At eleven, he left school to take a job at a local vaudeville theater. Thomas A. Dorsey was one of the gospel pioneers profiled in George Nierenberg's Say Amen, Somebody.The documentary was originally released in 1982, and has been remastered and re-released. "And ladies and gentlemen, believe it or not, I started singing right then and there: 'Precious Lord, take my hand,' " Dorsey continues, launching into song at the end of his story. He did not seek publicity, preferring to remain at his position as music director at the 3,000-seat Pilgrim Baptist Church and running his publishing company. Selected discography. The documentary was originally released in 1982, and has been remastered and re-released. The documentary features interviews with their friends and families juxtaposed with some awe-inspiring gospel music that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face! One of the most acclaimed music documentaries of all time, Say Amen, Somebody is George T. Nierenberg's masterpiece a joyous, funny, deeply emotional celebration of African American culture, featuring the father of Gospel, Thomas A. Dorsey (""Precious Lord, Take My Hand""); Mother Willie Mae Ford Smith; and soul-shaking performances by the Barrett Sisters, the O'Neal Twins, and Zella . This Far by Faith. Since its debut it has been translated into 50 languages. A Moment with Thomas Dorsey, from the Movie Say Amen, Somebody - YouTube from The Movie, Say Amen Somebody from The Movie, Say Amen Somebody AboutPressCopyrightContact. (Marovich, p. I feel like I can fly away!". He convalesced back home in Atlanta. What really struck me about the musical sequences was not just the incredible vocals and instrumentation from talents operating at the peak of their ability, but the. In 1932 Dorsey was appointed musical director of Pilgrim Baptist Church in Chicago, a post he held until his retirement in 1983. Furthermore, when Thomas' father traveled to preach at other churches, Thomas and his mother attended a church that practiced shape note singing; their harmonizing in particular making a deep impression on him. He is often quoted saying that he had "been kicked out of the best churches in the country". He became enthralled with them, and set out to learn as much about music (primarily the blues) as he could. [15] In between recording sessions with Tampa Red, and inspired by the compliments he received, he formed a choir at Ebenezer Baptist Church at the request of the pastor, Reverend James Smith, who had an affinity for Negro spirituals and indigenous singing styles. I have just come out of a tough sometimes violent marriage and on one of my down days heard this on the radio and it just struck a chord with me I guessso much so that I had to find out more about it. He visited a faith healer, Bishop H.H. [e] His grief prompted him to write one of his most famous and enduring compositions, "Take My Hand, Precious Lord". Give me a song, I stick to the note and play it like it is, you won't pay much attention to it. Everything I do - that's good, at least - is a reflection of His hand. "He is coming in as a collaborator with them, as opposed to this notion or feeling of voyeurism," she says. [30][31], Dorsey lived a quiet life despite his influence. These churches discouraged expressive congregational participation and attempted to incorporate white church traditions in both service and music. The first was Thomas A. Dorsey, known as the father of gospel music. There, Dorsey remained active until the 1970s, when failing health forced him into semi-retirement. In 1932 however, just as Dorsey co-founded the Gospel Choral Union of Chicago eventually renamed the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses (NCGCC), his wife Nettie died in childbirth, then 24 hours later, their son. Please try again. In 1933, Dorsey directed a 600-person chorus at the second meeting of the NCGCC, now boasting 3,500 members in 24 states. Encountering more competition for jobs and with his concentration primarily on blues, Dorsey turned to composing, copyrighting his first song in 1920, titled "If You Don't Believe I'm Leaving, You Can Count the Days I'm Gone". No cable. Dorsey described it as "good news on either side." 16: The Gospel Song Legacy Of Thomas Andrew Dorsey, Wade In The Water Ep. Dorsey was a popular blues pianist and arranger he was best known as Ma Rainey's band leader, until he took the blues and adapted it to sacred music. It only made sense to watch George Nierenberg's celebrated 1982 documentary on gospel music Say Amen, Somebody before that, as of course this genre was crucial to her upbringing, family, and culture, singing gospel in her father's church as a child and finding her voice in this medium long before she was "The Queen of Soul. Dorsey, one of five children, was born in Villa Rica, Georgia, but soon moved with his family to Atlanta. But in 1925, a second breakdown left Dorsey unable to play music. [41] Horace Boyer attributes this popularity to "simple but beautiful melodies", unimposing harmonies, and room for improvisation within the music. His first gospel song, "If You See my Savior Tell Him That You Saw Me" was published in 1932. However, both used their voices in very different ways-one chooses retribution and the other, engagement. Check out Charles Pike in the extras. It is the story of two sourthern migrants, Rev. (Harris, pp. [49] In Dorsey's wake, R&B artists Dinah Washington, who was a member of the Sallie Martin Singers, Sam Cooke, originally in the gospel band the Soul Stirrers, Ray Charles, Little Richard, James Brown, and the Coasters recorded both R&B and gospel songs, moving effortlessly between the two, as Dorsey did, and bringing elements of gospel to mainstream audiences. Those sisters will forever be in my heart.. You have this kind of inter-generational blending, and we're seeing that in this film, where there is this sort of critical moment within the tradition of gospel music sort of this passing of the torch, if you will.". Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them. Dorsey co-founded the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses in 1933. Extremely entertaining documentary that takes a look at religious music as we get to meet two key people. I'll never get out of this place alive. He died in 1993. ABOUT THE EPISODE, In 1998, 60 people embarked on an Interfaith Pilgrimage of the Middle Passage. For myself. Thomas Dorsey 1899 - 1993. In order to improve his skills and identify himself as a professional, he briefly took piano lessons from a teacher associated with Morehouse College, as well as a harmony course at the college itself. Black gospel choirs were asked to perform at several white churches in Chicago. In time, they discover that the true wounds lie within themselves. At twenty-one, his hectic and unhealthy schedule led to a nervous breakdown. By 1920, Dorsey was prospering, but the demanding schedule of playing at night, working at other jobs during the day, and studying in between led him to the first of two nervous breakdowns; he was so ill that his mother had to go to Chicago to bring him back to Atlanta. My soul was a deluge of divine rapture; my emotions were aroused; my heart was inspired to become a great singer and worker in the Kingdom of the Lord--and impress people just as this great singer did that Sunday morning." During the early 1930s, Thomas Dorsey created gospel music -- the African American religious music which married secular blues to a sacred text. Through their work, Dorsey & Williams create new expressions of faith. 209240. He was demoted a grade and ostracized by the other children. Although Dorsey claimed to have been thrown out of some of the best churches, Harris observed that the time was right for Dorsey's eventual success; there were increasing numbers of store-front churches that appealed to southern migrants, and there was a booming trade in recorded sermons of the type Dorsey's father might have delivered. [f], Chapters of the NCGCC opened in St. Louis and Cleveland. Ive been trying to get this DVD for a while Thanks, Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2022. Recommended as an antidote to the blahs. Now at the center of gospel music activity in Chicago, Dorsey countered his bereavement by immersing himself in marketing his songs. The luminaries of gospel are. At the beginning of worship services, Dorsey instructed choruses to march from the rear of the sanctuary to the choir-loft in a specific way, singing all the while. [47], Encountering a "golden age" between 1940 and 1960, gospel music introduced recordings and radio broadcasts featuring singers who had all been trained by Dorsey or one of his protges. 'Say Amen, Somebody' Restoration Unveils The Wonder Of The Gospel Pioneers, Thomas Dorsey, the Father of Gospel Music. India's economy is likely moving into a low inflation regime as supply shocks fade and demand cools, according to a paper co-authored by Reserve Bank of India Deputy . She also helped him with his publishing business, which quickly became so successful that people nationwide called any piece of gospel sheet music a "Dorsey.". eval(decodeURIComponent('%64%6f%63%75%6d%65%6e%74%2e%77%72%69%74%65%28%27%3c%61%20%68%72%65%66%3d%5c%22%6d%61%69%6c%74%6f%3a%6b%61%79%20%63%6f%79%6c%65%20%26%6c%74%3b%6b%61%79%65%63%6f%79%6c%6c%65%31%40%68%6f%74%6d%61%69%6c%2e%63%6f%2e%75%6b%26%67%74%3b%5c%22%3e%6b%61%79%20%63%6f%79%6c%65%3c%5c%2f%61%3e%27%29%3b')), I had never heard 'precious Lord,take my hand' until recently. Including all the embellishments in gospel blues would make the notation prohibitively complicated. In 1924, Dorsey made his debut as "Georgia Tom" with Ma Rainey at the Grand Theater and continued to tour with her, even after he wed in 1925, until he suffered the second of his breakdowns in 1926. He was, however, able to work, though he remained on the periphery of the music community, held back, Harris observed, by both his lack of technique and repertoire, which prevented him from joining the union, and the sheer size and wealth of the musical community. In The Rise of Gospel Blues Harris noted, "Other than slave spirituals, the white Protestant hymns and shaped note music, Dorsey describes a type of 'moaning' as the only other style of religious song he recalls." One of the best documentaries going I reckon. Dorsey found refuge in downtown Atlanta's black community. Haley. Dorsey visited doctors, sought treatment, took time off. Yoruba worshipers find a means of gaining strength and spirituality from within. In Chicago, Dorsey found success almost immediately. There was a great deal of early resistance to Dorsey's work, partly because it was rooted in the rural southern African-American culture from which the old-line urban churches sought to distance themselves in favor of assimilation. Saw the original release. "It goes between the marrow and the bone. Apparently, this is a common phrase for a preacher to employ when looking to foster agreement. 84.00. Then, in August 1932, Dorseys life was thrown into crisis when his wife and son died during childbirth. A beat is a beat whatever it is. Ma Rainey's Pianist Thomas Dorsey "Say Amen, Somebody" (1982) - YouTube 0:00 / 1:30 Ma Rainey's Pianist Thomas Dorsey "Say Amen, Somebody" (1982) 3,888 views Feb 1, 2021 Thomas A.. He gained fame accompanying blues belter Ma Rainey on tour and, billed as "Georgia Tom", joined with guitarist Tampa Red in a successful recording career. Sacred music could not sustain him financially, however, so he continued to work in blues. Using rare historic recordings and contemporary performances, "The Birth of Gospel" explores the growth of gospel music from slavery to now. As beautifully affecting and uplifting as nearly any narrative tale could be, but with a depressing undercurrent as harrowing as those final minutes of THE IRISHMAN. Thomas Dorsey and Mother Willie Mae Ford Smith, 100mins "You know, Frank, this has been my life dream to go abroad," Barrett says to her husband in one scene. The Duchess of Sussex's father, 78, claimed in the Australian news programme 7News Spotlight that his daughter had not called him in four years.. Built in 1890, the church became a catalyst for the popularity of gospel music in the 1930s under choir director Thomas Dorsey. Thomas A. Dorsey Biography Born in 1899 in Villa Rica, GA; died of Alzheimer's disease, January 23, 1993, in Chicago, IL; son of a minister and church organist/pianist; married Nettie Harper, 1925 (died, 1931); married Kathryn Mosely, 1941; children: a daughter and a son. Deemed the " father of gospel music, " Thomas Dorsey emerged, during the early 1930s, as the creator of an African American religious music style known as the gospel blues an idiom . According to Dorsey, she asked him to coach her, and for two months they worked together on technique and repertoire. It's like a family business, and watching the different generations striving for significance was quite fascinating. It explores Islam and Yoruba. After months of difficult travel and deep soul-searching, the pilgrims reach Africa with a stronger sense of identity and purpose. This was a documentary on the history of American Gospel music with clips of some of the greats from the early years of the 1930s and also those, later, like Mahalia Jackson. Thomas A. Dorsey(Actor), Delois Barrett Campbell(Actor), George T. Nierenberg(Director)& 0moreRated: Unrated Format: DVD 4.5 out of 5 stars129 ratings IMDb7.6/10.0 DVDfrom $18.00 VHS Tapefrom $39.99 Additional DVD options Edition Discs Price New from Used from DVDFebruary 3, 2001 I say this all the time, as someone who grew up in and out of the church, no matter how far Ive strayed from Christianity and the church itself, I will always love gospel music. Top subscription boxes right to your door, 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon. Lornell, Kip, "Dorsey, Thomas (18991993) Blues and Gospel Musician and Composer". 102. Votes: 392 As the head of the NCGCC, he traveled the "gospel highway": a circuit of churches and similar venues throughout the U.S. where he trained singers and choirs. In terms of the personalities that occupy the film, their presence is remarkable. With church no longer the focal point of his parents' lives, his connection to organized religion waned. Before long he was earning money playing at private parties and bordellos. Willie Mae reminded me so much of my grandmother, the moment she began to sing I immediately got teary eyed. (Harris, p. 24. states three, Marovich, p. 71 states five), Sometimes titled "Standing at the Bedside of a Neighbor". Thomas A. Dorsey was born in Villa Rica, Georgia, the first of three children to Thomas Madison Dorsey, a minister and farmer, and Etta Plant Spencer. "I just tried to make my little talk to the Lord but it was wasted, I think," Dorsey tells the audience. Dorsey and Martin established a publishing company called Dorsey House of Music, the first black-owned gospel publishing house in the U.S.[18][19] His sheet music sold so well, according to Heilbut, it supplanted the first book of compiled songs for black churches, W. M. Nix's Gospel Pearls, and the family Bible in black households. While presiding over rehearsals, Dorsey was strict and businesslike. There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. We long for it, and when it comes to us it is directly from our heavenly Father. And Dorsey's own Pilgrim Baptist Church choir performed at the 1933 World's Fair. Van Matre, Lynn, "Praises To Be For 'Father of Gospel'". Dorsey served as the music director at Chicago's Pilgrim Baptist Church for 50 years, introducing musical improvisation and encouraging personal elements of participation such as clapping, stomping, and shouting in churches when these were widely condemned as unrefined and common. The efforts of student workers on the front lines of the civil rights movement are shown from the perspective of Rev. Young Thomas Dorsey describes feeling alienated from school and church during his first years in Atlanta. In the film, Mother Smith talks about her husband's resistance to her traveling; Delois Barrett Campbell's husband objects, too. Author Anthony Heilbut summarized Dorsey's influence by saying he "combined the good news of gospel with the bad news of blues". Selected writings. Peter Levinson tells Linda Wertheimer about his biography. Documentary about the American gospel music scene, focusing on two of the movement's pioneering forces, Thomas A. Dorsey and Willie May Ford Smith. Anthony Heilbut writes that "the few days following his death, 'Precious Lord' seemed the truest song in America, the last poignant cry of nonviolence before a night of storm that shows no sign of ending". "[36], To accomplish this, Dorsey traveled beyond the U.S., through Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, and the Middle East. He was soon making printed copies of his gospel blues, but since he relied on the performer to embellish the music, they did not sell well. Foley's version has been entered into the National Recording Registry as a culturally significant recording worthy of preservation. Dorsey died of Alzheimer's disease on January 23, 1993. The manager of a gospel quartet active in the 1930s stated that songs written by Dorsey and other songwriters copying him spread so far in such a short time that they were called "dorseys". Labowskie, Mark, ". "You have the Barrett Sisters; you have the O'Neal Twins. An unintended consequence of his sales strategy helped spread gospel blues, as he worked with numerous musicians who assisted in selling his sheet music traveling to churches in and around Chicago. The cathartic nature of gospel music became integral to the black experience in the Great Migration, when hundreds of thousands of black Southerners moved to Northern cities like Detroit, Washington, D.C., and especially Chicago between 1919 and 1970. His song "Peace in the Valley", written in 1937 originally for Mahalia Jackson, was recorded by, among others, Red Foley in 1951, and Elvis Presley in 1957, selling more than a million copies each. "[37][27] Dorsey began to slow down in the 1970s, eventually showing symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. For the big band trombonist and bandleader, see, Thomas Dorsey during his "Georgia Tom" blues period, late 1920s, Accounts of how many children the Dorseys had depend on the source. However, mainstream churches rejected his songs. [5][7], Two of his secular songs were recorded by Monette Moore and another by Joe "King" Oliver, ensuring Dorsey a place as one of Chicago's top blues composers. hide caption. The Dorsey brothers' father, Thomas Dorsey, Sr., was a cornet-playing coal miner who also led the Shenandoah town band and gave music lessons on the side. Pun. Dorsey's mother took work as a domestic servant; his father curtailed his pastoring and worked as a laborer. These migrants were refugees from poverty and the systemic racism endemic throughout the Jim Crow South. The only thing he cared about was saving souls through his music. I think about all these blue-collar people who had to deal with Jim Crow, meager salaries, and yet the maid who cleaned up somebody else's house all week long, the porter, the chauffeur, the gardener, the cook, were nobody. They would tour together in the 1940s. Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2022. To learn more about Thomas Dorsey, watch the 1982 musical documentary Say Amen, Somebody, currently available on YouTube and DVD, check out his collection of papers archived at Fisk University, read 1994's The Rise of Gospel Blues: The Music of Thomas Andrew Dorsey in the Urban Church by Michael W. Harris, which you can borrow from the . The documentary was originally released in 1982, and has been remastered and re-released. Dorsey based the music of his most popular and widely performed gospel song on and old hymn called "Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone?" Poe, Janita, "Thomas A Dorsey, Gospel Pioneer", National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Precious Lord: New Recordings of the Great Songs of Thomas A. Dorsey, Living legends of Chicago gospel honor tradition, carry on family legacies, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Spirit of Dorsey's Songs Fills His Funeral Service, Living Legends of Chicago Gospel Honor Tradition, Carry on Family Legacies, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Inductee List, Frequently Asked Questions: National Recording Registry, Complete National Recording Registry Listing: National Recording Registry, "If I Could Hear My Mother Pray AgainThomas Dorsey (1934)", "Peace in the Valley"Red Foley and the Sunshine Boys (1951), "Precious Lord: New Recordings of the Great Gospel Songs of Thomas A. Dorsey", "'It's Tight Like That' by Tampa Red and Georgia Tom", "'Future Blues' Willie Brown (Paramount 1930)", Biography by the Chicago Historical Society, "The Father of the Chicago Gospel Singing Movement", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thomas_A._Dorsey&oldid=1150701726, Governor's Award for the Arts in Chicago, given 1985, "If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again" (1934), added in 2007 recorded by Dorsey, written by John Whitfield Vaughan in 1922, "Peace In The Valley" by Red Foley and the Sunshine Boys (1951), added in 2006, Ferris, William, and Hart, Mary L., eds. See production, box office & company info. She says another thing that sets the film apart is its focus on female performers; Nierenberg says the women faced opposition from both the Church and their families, "They were bucking the system when it came to performing their music in churches," he says. Before long he was back to writing and performing secular blues, and in 1928, "It's Tight Like That" became a hit, selling seven million copies. Whether you are religious or not,this is an inspiring documentary about the power of faith. Thomas Markle Sr has said he will not allow his daughter, Meghan Markle, to "bury" him while he is still alive.. He is a truly mesmerizing figure, the stuff of which legends are made. It is perhaps Dorsey's greatest achievement that he was able to overcome this opposition and thus preserve important aspects of black musical expression as it had existed in both the spiritual and secular realms. Young Thomas Dorsey describes feeling alienated from school and church during his first years in Atlanta. Services were thus altered in multiple ways to welcome the influx of migrants, for spiritual and pragmatic reasons: attracting and keeping new members helped reconcile many churches' debts. His best-known composition, "Take My Hand, Precious Lord", was performed by Mahalia Jackson and was a favorite of the Rev. I hope others will take the time to research the real facts and give Thomas A. Dorsey credit for his great Gospel works. And I think that that respect is then reflected in the way in which the film is produced and directed. '"[27], When he gave interviews later in his life, he never condemned blues music or his experiences in that period. In 1975 he appeared in WBBM TV's documentary film The Devil's Music - A History of . His uncle was also a musician, a traveling guitarist concentrating on country blues while it was in its infancy. "[21][22], In addition to the high spirited choir performances, Dorsey began introducing uptempo Negro spirituals, what he referred to as "jubilees", alongside published hymns in worship services. In Chicago, Dorsey adopted the name Georgia Tom and found work as a session musician. While attending a church service with his sister-in-law, Dorsey claimed the minister who prayed over him pulled a live serpent from his throat, prompting his immediate recovery. And that's how he came to capture his subjects accurately, says Dr. Rhea Combs.
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